Juan loumiet et lavigne



Jan. 31, 1956 JUAN LOUMIET ET LAVIG'NE ,73 0

MEANS FOR REGULATING STEAM GENERATORS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 3, 1948 l .lllIIKI @mu, (Zia/w 7W rrazimzlir Jan. 31, 1 JUAN LOUMIET ET LAVIGNE ,73 ,830

MEANS FOR REGULATING STEAM GENERATORS 4 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed Feb. 3. 1948 ii: :5 ii I BY W; uZ /a/W 76%;?

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Jan. 31, 1956 JUAN LOUMIET ET LAV |GNE 2, 3 ,83

MEANS FOR REGULATING STEAM GENERATQRS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb 3, 1948 INVENT OR JUAN LOUMIET ET L AVIGNE BY jaw ,vnwb'bfi KM LW ATTORNEY United States Patent MEANS FOR REGULATING STEAM GENERATORS Juan Lonrniet et Lavigue, Itabo, Cuba; Laura J. Martha Eloy y Lafitte, executrix or administratrix of the estate of smdluan Loumiet et Lavigne, deceased Application February 3, 1948, Serial No. 5,984

2 Claims. (Cl. 122-1) The present invention represents a supplement to my previous processes relating to the same subject, and in particular to that process which forms the subject of my U. S. patent application Ser. No. 492,036, filed June 24,

1943, now Patent No. 2,662,507, for Process and Ap-.

paratus for the Regulation of Steam Boilers.

In these previous inventions the operations of a generator have been considered as realized through the successive operating states of long duration, each form of operation corresponding to a period of time during which the consumption of vapor is invariable.

During each of these periods it is possible to establish an operating state which represents the optimum operating conditions corresponding to the consumption, and in which all the supply flows of Water, fuel and air are fixed and determined. Also fixed and determined are the quantities of heat absorbed during unit time by each unit of the generator: vaporizer, superheater, economizer and air re-heater if there is one. Consequently the flows of smoke or fumes deflected from their normal path directly to the superheater and the economizer to permit suitable absorption of heat by these units are also fixed and determined. My processes are based upon this way of looking at the problem, and provide a first and principal automatic regulation corresponding to the momentary consumption, by which there are established, as approximations to the final regulation, supply flows slightly greater than the theoretical values corresponding to this consumption. The slight excess of these flows permits supplementary regulation, which adapts them definitely to the generators needs to be effected through subtraction.

The principal regulations of the smoke flows deflected toward the superheater and the economizer are also supplemented by definite or final regulations controlled by the temperatures of the superheated vapor flowing out of the superheater and of the water when emerging from the economizer, respectively.

Regulation thus comprised is capable of giving excellent results if effected in one operating state. But actually the operating state corresponds to invariable operating conditions and it is perfectly regulated; consequently it requires no regulation. Regulation corresponds to the need to pass from one established or stabilized operating state to another established or stabilized operating state, and it is effected through a succession of transition states, and during these transition states the functioning of the generator is influenced by certain factors belonging to these states which do not manifest themselves during the stabilized operating states.

In the explanation that follows I will apply various special terms which I define as follows:

When by virtue of a constant load Q and of an adequate regulation there has been obtained between the steam production and the load an invariable equilibrium which involves an invariable consumption of fuel, air and water, and constant temperatures for each particle of the bricks or iron constituting the walls of the gen- ICC erator and its installations, thus there has been obtained in the operations of that generator a stabilized operating state ER, that is, the regime corresponding to the consumption of vapor Q.

If during the operations of the generator in the stabilized operating state ER, corresponding to an invariable load Q, an increase of that load from Q to Q suddenly takes place, the regulation brings about operations designed to obtain a new stabilized operating state ER corresponding to the new load Q.

Until that new stabilized operating state ER has been obtained the operations of the generator are effected through successive transitory, variable states.

In the transitory variable states certain factors operate that do not exist in the stabilized operating states and that perturb the regulation. Those factors are referred to as incidental factors or transitory factors.

The principal one of those transitory factors consists in the variation of the thermal potential of the generator. The term thermal potential is used to mean the total heat comprised in all the particles of the materials that compose the generator, but not of the Water it contains.

During the transitory states traversed by the operations of a steam generator to pass from one stabilized operating state ER to another stabilized operating state ER, the thermal potential varies from T? to TP. Hence, during those transitory states the elements of combustion must provide the heat required in the stabilized states of equal load and supplementarily an amount of heat TP-TP that will be applied to that increase of the thermal potential. Let us consider the case in which the state of the generator being stabilized under a fixed demand for vapor L (state 1), W, F and A represent the appropriate feedings, respectively, of water, fuel and air; T being the average temperature of the structure.

Let us suppose that suddenly the steam demand in creases from L to L, and that W, F and A are the appropriate feedings, respectively, of water, fuel and air and T the average temperature of the structure, all corresponding to the stabilized state of load L (state 2) Let us observe that to pass from the state 1 to the state 2 it is necessary to increase the feedings of fuel and air of the values P and A to the values P and A, respectively (regulations a), and to have yielded to the structure independently of the heat transmitted by said structure to the operated fluid for the heating operations (vaporization and superheating) that are effected in the units, the amount of heat Q=c (TT) stored by said structure on passing from the temperature T to the temperature T. The increase of value of the feedings constitutes a permanent increase of the same corresponding to the load variation and is obtained by the regulations (a) The complementary heat amount Q delivered to the structure represents a temporary increase of the feedings of fuel and air that have to be used during the time required by the structure to absorb that heat, that increase being great at the beginning and progressively diminishing to zero. Its total is Q. That heat amount Q must be delivered as it is required by the increase of temperature of the structure. This point will be explained more thoroughly.

As soon as the new demand of steam L occurs, an unbalance between demand and production (LL) takes place. If L and L are expressed in pounds per second, and K represents the total weight in pounds of the steam contained in the separator, the super-heater and the dis tributing conduits under the pressure P, during the time air the steam production has been Ldt and the steam consumption La't so that the total weight of steam stored is reduced to K- (L-L)dt.

Consequently the pressure P falls to:

K- (LL)dt (L-L) P K ,P[1 K clt] The pressure decrease automatically provokes the op erating regulations (a), consequently the increase of the feedings of fuel and air. That increase of the fuel feeding provokes in its turn the increase of the volume of the combustion gases and the increase in the temperature of those gases through the smoke fines.

To that increase in temperature of the firing gases through those lines corresponds automatically an increase in the temperature of the structure. pressure fall automatically induces a movement dM of regulation, and by virtue of that movement the feedings F and A increase to F-l-dF and A-l-dA; the temperature is increased to T-l-dT, and consequently cdT is the heat dQ that must be supplied to respond to the increase of the thermal potential if it is desired to avoid subtraction of that heat from the heat supplied by the operating regulations to meet the heat requirements of the operations effected by the generator.

According to' what has been previously explained the principal object of the invention is to supply, by means of the appropriate correction, that heat cdT at the time when it is required by the structure. It must be observed that while the increase of the fuel feedings dF and dA that are provided by the regulating operations (a) to respond to the increase of steam production is permanent, the corrections cdT on the contrary represent a complementarily determined amount of fuel and air to be supplied only once until the furnishing of the heat cdT is completed. If the heat supplied by the corrections represents exactly the heat cdT, and is supplied at the same time that it is absorbed, the regulating movements dM are limited to produce the feeding increases dF and dA. When by virtue of those movements F and A have been transformed to F and A, that is, when and dA=A'-A then also T would have been transformed into T, and the heat supplied by the corrections would have been (t and t1 being the times, initial and final).

The regulations and the corrections would have operated simultaneously, producing first the increase of the feedings of F and A to F and A, respectively; and second the heat Q that would have caused the increase in temperature of the structure from T to T (from the time t to the time t1).

Conseqnently, the variation of the thermal potential represents an incidental factor of the transitory states traversed by a generator, when on responding to a variation of load it seeks a new stabilized operating state, and the incidental factor referred to requires the total heat provided by the combustion during those operations to be temporarily increased (or decreased) in the amount TP'TP. That complementary heat must be provided in a variable proportion initially great and progressively decreasing to zero in order to adapt the same at every moment to the heat being stored by the gen- V erator.

That is, when a 4 well as in relation to the ratio existing between the rate of water supply on the one hand and the rate of supply of the elements of combustion on the other, as in relation to the distribution of the heat of combustion between the various units of the generator.

Consequently, the variations in the water evaporation conditions corresponding to the deviation of the pressure represent another incidental factor of the transitory states of the generator which provokes constantly variable alterations in the operating conditions of that generator.

The invention keeps the general methods of my earlier processes for the purpose of obtaining as rapidly as possible, by means of regulating the feeds, the most efiicient permanent operating conditions corresponding to the new steam consumption. But supplementary to this it establishes compensatory corrections for the effects of the indicated factors of the transition states, in such a fashion as to free the regulatory operation from the influence of these factors.

The first object of my invention is therefore to establish the compensatory corrections for the effects of the incidental factors of the transition states, and to perform the main regulatory operations free from the infiuence of these factors in accordance with the methods of my earlier inventions, for the purpose of establishing as rapidly as possible the incidental operating conditions which at each instant of the transition period are the most efficient, and which correspond to the continuously changing consumption.

A second object of the invention is automatically to establish by virtue of suitable regulations for each variable of operation the appropriate value of feeding responding to the stabilized regime corresponding to the actual load, in order that between those regulations corresponding to the stabilized regime and the corrections neutralizing the effects of the incidental factors, the invention may immediately attain the correct theoretical values at every moment. In view, however, of the imponderable factors that appear in all steam generators, of the delay between the moment when a deficiency is revealed and the moment when that deficiency begins to be corrected under the most favorable circumstances, and the imperfections unavoidable in all human operations, it is necessary to supervise the results attained and confide to that supervision the last touch of the regulation. But the attainment of the automatic regulation based upon the value of the present load, combined with the corrections based upon the values of the occasional factors to be compensated in the transitory states, reduces considerably the importance of those final touches and the hunting which they entail.

A third object of the invention consists in improving the process for effecting each partial regulation that is controlled, by virtue of the variations of one of the operating characteristics of the generator: either the steam pressure, or else the level of water in the boiler or (lacking a boiler) in the water separator operating on the vapor emerging from the vaporizer. The invention provides that the variation caused in the feeding streams by their regulation in response to a pressure variation shall be at everymoment of varying magnitude according to the rate of deviation at said moment of the pressure from its norms, decreasing when this rate decreases and increasing when it increases, becoming Zero when the rate of deviation becomes zero, and staying at zero, which is to say that the regulation becomes inactive when the rate of deviation becomes negative, causing the deviation itself to decrease.

A fourth objectof the invention relates to the mutual ratio of the supply flows of fuel and of air. In accordance with my earlier methods, this ratio is kept constant. In reality, when we operate with a certain fire-box having a definite type of combustion, the excess of air to be added to he theoretical ratio between the respective feeding fiows of air and fuel, for the purpose of obtaining the best result, is variable. A better solution however consists in adapting this ratio to the magnitude of the supply flows of the combustion elements, that is to say to the speed of turbine 23 that drives all the generation apparatus for the supply flows. This improvement is of real importance in the case of generators operating with great variations in load.

cnsequently the partial regulations or corrections that must be effected when applying the regulating system of the invention in its entirety comprises: 7

Reg. A.The regulation of the original feeding streams of water, fuel and air (first feeding streams regulation).

This regulation has for its object to establish first feeding streams susceptible to produce an amount of steam that balances the load. It is controlled by the pressure variations of the generator in order to maintain that pressure constant, yet the pressure variation is regarded as the most sensitive indication of an unbalance between the pro duction and the load (Figure 1).

Reg. B.Secondary regulations of the original feeding streams to adjust the ratio between the original feeding streams to the requirements of the stabilized state of present load (feeding streams of water, fuel and air secondary regulation).

These regulations are effected only upon the air and water streams, without affecting the fuel stream. They are controlled by the speed of the drive motor that drives at the same time all the feeding apparatus.

Reg. C.Regulation of the heating streams to adjust the distribution of the heat of the combustion gases to the respective requirements of the vaporizer, superheater and economizer, in the stabilized state of present load (first heating streams regulation).

These regulations operate upon the deviations of the normal stream of combustion gases directly diverted towards the superheater and towards the economizer. They are controlled by the speed of the motor driving in unison all the feeding apparatus.

Corr. D.-Corrections for neutralizing the effects of the variations of thermal potential due to a variation of load (thermal potential primary variations corrections).

These regulations operate upon the feeding streams of fuel and air, producing occasional variations in those streams that compensate the occasional increase or diminuation of heat stored in the generator (Figure 2) and upon the deflected heating streams, that is, upon the deviations of the normal stream of combustion gases towards the superheater and the economizer respectively.

Corr. E.Correetions for neutralizing the effects of the variation of requirements of heat due to the pressure variations (heating requirements secondary variations).

Corr. F.Corrections for neutralizing the effects of the variations of thermal potential due to a pressure variation (thermal potential secondary variations correction).

Reg. G.-Final regulations responding to the control of the results of the operation (liquid level in the separator and temperatures of the steam leaving the superheater and of the liquid leaving the economizer respectively).

A fifth object of the invention relates to the combining of the controlling influences to be applied to a feeding or heating stream by the various regulations or corrections that affect it, in a manner to avoid interference in the results upon the stream of controlling influences simultaneously applied. According to the invention the controlling influence resulting from the previous combination of the partial controlling influences that must be applied simultaneously to the same stream is the only controlling influence applied to the original stream in substitution for all said partial influences. 7

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 shows the general control mechanism for the main regulation operated by pressure variations (first feeding streams regulation).

' Fig. 2 shows the apparatus for determining the magni- 6 tude of the compensatory corrections for the thermal potential variations of the generator corresponding to a variation in the production of vapor (thermal potential primary variations corrections).

Fig. 3 shows schematically the entire regulation of a forced-draft generator,

Figs. 4 and 6 are views designed to show the details of construction of a hydraulic rheosat illustrated in Fig. 1, but with certain V-shaped tubes which form parts of the rheostat spread out angularly for greater clearness;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken upon the line 4-4- of Figs. 5 and 6, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary sectional views taken, respectively, upon the lines 55 and 6-6 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrow-s.

Fig. 1 shows the regulating apparatus of the steam turbine 2-3 in Figure 3 that moves the water pump 22, the fuel pump 20, and the fan 21 that produce the first supply flows (Regulation A). This steam turbine is regulated by a valve 25, or could be an electromotor regulated by a rheostat. The pinion 101 elfects this regulation by means of a movement transmitting device which may be variable, and which has not been illustrated because it does not form part of the invention.

The regulating pinion 101 is moved by the rack 102 which is a prolongation of the rod 103 of the piston 104. This piston moves inside the cylinder 105, and receives upon its right-hand face the pressure of the vapor from the generator which comes to it through the tube 106, and receives upon its left-hand face the hydraulic pressure of the accumulator 107, say the normal pressure of the generator. By virtue of this arrangement, when the pressure of the generator is less than its normal pressure, the piston is moved toward the right, and the rack 102 rotates the pinion 101 in the direction that increases the speed of the motor 23 which moves all the supply mechanisms. On the contrary, when the pressure of the generator is above normal pressure, the piston 104 is moved toward the left, and rotates the regulating pinion 101 in the direction for reducing the speeds of the supply mechanisms.

The speed of movement of the piston 104 determines the greater or less intensity of the regulatory movement. This speed depends upon the speed of displacement of the liquid of the accumulator 107 toward the cylinder 105, or the other way around. This speed of displacement is regulated by causing a variation in the resistance to the passage of this liquid through the piping which conducts it from the accumulator to the cylinder and the other way around. The invention obtains this result by means of an apparatus which inserts into this piping larger or smaller resistances, and which by virtue of this analogy to electrical rheostats I shall term a hydraulic rheostat.

The hydraulic rheostat 109 is formed by a tubular circuit comprising a series of tubes connected in succession; one of the extremities of this circuit being connected directly to the cylinder 105, while the accumulator 107 may be set into communication with any of the junctions of two successive tubes. In this form the portion of the hydraulic rheostat comprised in the circuit which runs from the cylinder to the accumulator or the reverse is limited to the tubes comprised between the junction 132 connected to the accumulator and the first junction connected to the cylinder.

In the figure, the hydraulic rheostat comprises nine tubes 111 to 119, inclusive, and furthermore the tube which connects it to the cylinder through a device whose function will be explained further on. All these tubes are disposed radially about a hollow shaft 129, the cavity of which, closed at one of its extremities, is constantly in communication by the-other extremity with the accumulator 107 through the tube which constitutes its prolongation 108.

The tubes that comprise the rheostat have their outlets connected into the annulus 131, concentric with the shaft 2 9, which comprises the. chambers 13 by mean o hi h re onnec ed tog h r. in a er n irec i h t-remities of two successive tubes; these tubes are, thus connected in such a fashion as to constitute a single circuit. Of these chambers 152 one half, namely, the chambers 132B, whose centers are situated in a plane perpendicular to the shaft and are circumferentially spaced at equal angular intervals 25, at the front of the figure, unites the successive tubes by their front branches; the other half, namely, the chambers 132A whose centers are situated in a rear plane and are circumferentially spaced at equal angular'intervals 2S, and relatively to chambers 13213 at equal intervals S parallel to the first plane, unite the same tubes by their rear branches. Each of these chambers starts from the inner surface of the annulus 131.

The shaft 129 in its turn has two radial ducts 1338 and 133A formed in it, the centers of which are situated in the respective planes of chambers 1323 and 132A. When one of these ducts, the duct 133B, for example, is situated opposite a chamber, the chamber 132B joining the tubes 112 and 113,, for example, it establishes communication between this chamber and the interior of the hollow shaft, the tube lilhancl the accumulator 107, and consequently the part of the rheostat inserted into the circuit that conducts the liquid from the cylinder to the accumulator and the reverse, is reduced to the tubes 111 and 112. At the same time the second duct 133A is placed in front of the full wall of the annulus 131 between the rear chambers 132 joining respectively the tubes 111 with 112 and 113 with 114. As soon as the rotation of the shaft causes the passage through the first duct to begin to be reduced, it causes the passage of the second duct to begin to be opened, thereby establishing the communication of the hollow shaft with the final extremity of the succeeding tube 113 of the rheostat, so that at that moment the two tubes 112 and 113 operate simultaneously. As the rotation of the shaft is increased the passage through the first tube of 112 and duct 1333 is diminished and the passage through the second tube of 113 and duct 113A is increased, until the latter passage has completely replaced the former. Thus the tubes 111, 112, 113, etc., are successively added to the path which must be traversed by the liquid in passing from the tube 110 to the chamber 130, or viceversa. The rheostat regulation is therefore realized by virtue of the position of the ducts 133, as determined by the movements of the shaft 129. These movements are effected, through the solid shaft 128 which forms a prolongation of the hollow shaft 129, by the electromotor 127', which can be reversed merely by reversing the direction of the flow current through it by means of a worm gear 126. This motion transmission may comprise other speed-reducing gearing.

The. control of the hydraulic rheostat is effected in such a fashion as to increase the rapidity of the regulation of the generator, decreasing the resistance of the rheostat when the positive or negative acceleration of the pressure increases in absolute value. This result is obtained as follows:

The cylinder 140 contains a piston 141, upon the left face of which the pressure of the generator acts; the vapor which maintains this pressure entering or leaving the cylinder through the venturi 142; and upon the right face of which acts the pressure of the air chamber 144 which comes into equilibrium with the former.

I change of pressure, the greater is the displacement of piston 141 during a given time unit, and the greater the amount. of steampassingthrough the venturi during that time unit will be; that is, the greater will be the speed of that steam.- The manometer of this venturi therefore measures the speedof the pressure change. The regularegulates the hydraulic 8 tion of the hydraulic rheostat 109 is etfected through the responses of the venturi 142, which is to say in effect that a certain response of this. venturi automatically corresponds to a certain resistance of the rheostat, say to a predetermined position of the shaft 128-129.

For this purpose, the tube that measures the pressure diiferences in the manometer 139 of said venturi carries a series of electrodes 151 to 159, at levels that are successively higher. Moreover the shaft of the hydraulic rheostat carries concentrically through the solid shaft 128 and at its left extremity a circular sector 147 which moves about its center and in contact with the concentric sector, of greater amplitude, of a fixed disk 146. This sector of the disk is partially covered with mutually insulated metal sheets or foils 161 to 169, each of them included with a corresponding electrode in a distinct electric circuit, these sheets or foils keeping the same order of situation as the corresponding electrodes. The movable circular sector is sufficiently large to make simultaneous contact with all the sheets or foils of the fixed disk.

Each circuit starting from line L2 comprises the conductor 201), the mercury of the manometer 139, an electrode (for example, the electrode the corresponding conductor 151A to 159-A (in this case 155A), the corresponding switches but the last, 261 to 268 (in this case the switch 265), the corresponding conductors 151-B to 159B (in this case 155-13), the corresponding foil of the disk 146 (in this case the foil 16$), the movable circular sector 147, the conductor 148, the solenoid 14% and the conductor 151) which connects the circuit to line L1.

Each switch or interrupter (261 to 263, both inclusive) is operated by a solenoid (171 to 178, both inclusive) which opens this circuit when it is excited. This sole acid is, in turn, operated by a circuit which connects the electrode immediately above that of the same circuit to the same line L1 through the conductor 171?. It follows from this that when the mercury begins to flow over the electrode immediately above it, it opens the previous circuit. Because of this contrivance the only circuit that can operate at a given moment is the circuit of the highest electrode covered by the mercury. he part of the operating circuit distinct from the other circuits is pointed out in Figure l with a double line. The solenoid 149 controls the operations of the electromotor 12? which rheostat as follows:

When the movable circular sector 147 covers the foil corresponding to the highest electrode contacted by the mercury of the manometer 139, the electric circuit comprising said foil and electrode is closed through solenoid 149, this solenoid is excited, the conductor 192 is electrically connected to the line L1 through the switches of blade 194 and of contact points 193 and the line 150. Moreover the conductor 193 is electrically connected to the line L2 through the switch of contact points 195 and the conductor 160. The motor moves the rheostat clock- Wise, increasing its resistance.

On the contrary, when the movable circular sector 147 uncovers the foil corresponding to the highest electrode contacted by the mercury of the manometer 139, the electric circuit comprising said foil and electrode is opened, the solenoid 149 is without current, and the conductor 192 is electrically connected to the line L2 through the switch 1% and the conductor 169. In its turn the conductor 193 is electrically connected to the line L1 through the switch of contact points 197 and the conductor 150. The motor moves the rheostat counter-clockwise, decreasing its resistance.

Moreover the hydraulic rheostat is constructed in such a fashion that it offers a resistance exactly corresponding to the rate of change of the pressure of the vapor, when the metal foil of the disk 146 corresponding to the highest electrode moistened by the mercury of the manometer 139 is situated opposite the extreme left of the movable sector 147,

Therefore if the resistance of the hydraulic rheostat is 9 less than that which corresponds to the level of the mercury in the manometer 139, and if consequentlythe movable sector 147 covers the foil of the highest electrode the mercury flows over, the circuit of that electrode closes through the solenoid 149, and the motor 127 that operates the rheostat rotates counter-clockwise, increasing the resistance of this rheostat.

If on the contrary the resistance of the hydraulic rheostat is higher than that which corresponds to the level of the mercury of the manometer 139, the movable sector 147 no longer covers the foil of the disk 146 corresponding to the highest electrode covered by the mercury, that is to say the sole circuit capable of closing; the solenoid 149 remains without current, and the motor 127 which operates the hydraulic rheostat rotates clockwise, reducing the resistance of this rheostat.

If the piston 141 reaches the end of its travel in one direction or the other, interrupting the operations of the venturi 142 and the manometer 139, said piston closes the electrical connection through conductors 200 and 201, interrupter 199, and conductor 202 or the electrical connection through conductors 200 and 201, interrupter 259, and conductor 203 enters into action, completing, closing, and producing the operation of the electrical circuit of the highest electrode of the manometer 139, that is to say causing the motor operating the hydraulic rheostat to move in such a fashion as to by-pass said hydraulic rheostat from the hydraulic circuit which goes from the cylinder 105 to the accumulator 107, or the reverse.

Each electrode of the manometer is comprised in a third circuit, the final purpose of which is to suspend the regulatory movement of the motor 127 when, by virtue of this regulation, the resistance of the hydraulic rheostat exactly corresponds to the level of the mercury in the manometer. This circuit runs from the conductor which connects the electrode to the corresponding foil of the disk 146, branching from this conductor at a point intermediate the disk and the interrupter or switch. The conductor of the new circuit terminates in its turn at the same disk, at a fixed angular distance from the foil, the final point of the circuit from which its branch runs; this angle being the same for all the circuits. An arm 180, rigidly connected to the movable sector 147, which forms the same angle of 180 degrees, for example, with the left extremity of this movable sector, in its movement makes contact with these terminal points (181 to 189), occasionally continuing their circuit. From this arm runs a conductor 190 which, through the solenoid 191, makes contact with the electrical line 150 and consequently causes closure of the third circuit corresponding to the terminal point in contact with the arm 180. The solenoid 191 in its turn operates the switch 194 in such a fashion that when the solenoid is excited the switch opens the circuit of the current which moves the electromotor that operates the regulation. It follows from this that when the resistance of the hydraulic rheostat corresponds to the rate of change of the pressure, and consequently the foil (e. g. 165 as shown in Figure 1) of the disk 146 corresponding to the highest electrode covered by the mercury is situated exactly opposite the extreme left of the movable sector 147 and is covered by said sector, the terminal point on the disk (e. g. 135 as shown in Figure 1), of the conductor of the third circuit, is situated opposite the arm 100, and is consequently in contact with this arm; the third circuit corresponding to the highest electrode that is covered closes, the solenoid 191 is excited and stops the movement of the regulating motor, suspending this regulation.

Finally the invention comprises devices which limit the regulatory operations to moments during which the pressure is not only different from the normal pressure but tends also to go further from its normal value. For this purpose a two-branch fork is inserted into the circuit which conducts the control liquid from the cylinder 105 to the accumulator 107 and the reverse. The branch 204 of this circuit permits the control liquid to pass only when the pressure of the generator is excessive and tends to rise. For this purpose it comprises a check valve 206 which permits passage of the liquid only in the direction toward the accumulator, that is to say when the pressure is excessive; and a valve port 209 which is opened only as the pressure is rising.

The branch 205 permits the liquid to pass only when the pressure of the generator is lower than normal and tends to sink. For this purpose its comprises a check valve 207 which permits the liquid to pass only from the accumulator to the cylinder, and a valve port 208 operated in such a fashion that it is opened only when the pressure decreases.

The control of the valve ports 208209 is effected by the following mechanism:

In the tube which conducts the vapor to the cylinder 140 are disposed two tubes 210, 211, which have their outlets on its axis but in faced opposite directions. The opening of tube 210 is faced toward the cylinder 140, and the opening of the tube 211 is faced toward the generator. The dynamic pressure due to the movement of the vapor is translated into a difference of pressure between the tubes 210 and 211, the pressure of the tube 211 relative to the tube 210 being positive when the vapor travels toward the cylinder 140, that is to say when the pressure of the generator is rising, and being on the contrary negative when the vapor travels away from the cylinder 140, that is to say when the pressure of the generator is falling. This pressure of the tube 211 relative to the tube 210 causes a movement of the piston 212, which receives on its respective face the pressures from these tubes, in such a way that when the pressure of the generator is rising the piston 212 is pushed to the left extremity of' the cylinder 213; and when this pressure is falling the piston 212 is pushed to the right extremity of the cylinder 213. By virtue of this movement the piston 212 in its turn operates the slide which controls the inlet to and outlet from the chamber 216 of compressed air, this compressed air entering into this chamber through the conduit 215, and emerging through the conduit 214. The chamber 216 in its turn communicates with the right end of the cylinder 217 and consequently transmits its pressure to the right face of the piston 218. Upon the other face of this piston acts the pressure of the closed chamber 219, which is filled with air which is slightly compressed to a pressure lower than the compressed air operating on the right face of 218.

By virtue of these arrangements, when the pressure of the generator rises, the piston 212 is forced to the extreme left of its travel, carrying with it the slide 135 that opens the conduit 215 and closes the conduit 214. The compressed air enters the right portion of the cylinder 217, pushes the piston 21$ toward the left, thus causing opening of the valve port 209 and closure of the valve port 208. On the contrary, when the pressure of the generator decreases, the piston 212 is forced to the e)- treme right of its travel, carrying with it in this movement the slide 135 that opens the opening 21 and closes the opening 215. The compressed air in the chamber 216 is evacuated to the atmosphere through the opening 214, and the piston 21% is pushed to the right by the pressure of the chamber 219. In this movement it opens the valve port 208 and closes the valve port 209.

In conclusion, the line of the conduit 204 is operative only when the check valve 206 (responding to an excess of pressure) and the valve port 209 (responding to a rising pressure) are simultaneously opened, and the line of the conduit 205 is operative only when the check valve 207 (responding to a lack of pressure) and the valve port 208 (responding to a .falling pressure) are simultaneously opened. Consequently, the regulation is operative only when the pressure has changed from the normal pressure and tends to go further from its normal value.

Contrivances (not shown) are adopted for the regula 1 l tions that depend upon the speed of the turbine or motor 23 of Figure 3 that moves the water pump 22, the fuel pump 20 and the fan 21 (in Figure 3). These regulations (B) comprise: a

A first and single regulation of the air supply flow, adapting this flow to the theoretical value it should have in order to obtain the best combustion inthe determined conditions of operation and for the rate of fuel consumption corresponding to the speed, at the same moment, of the supply apparatus.

A first regulation of the water supply flow, by means of which this flow is automatically adapted at each instant to the theoretical value it should have in a stabilized operating state corresponding to the present speed of the turbine 23 which moves the supply apparatus.

A first automatic regulation of the deviations of the smoke to the superheater and economizer respectively in such a fashion as to adapt at each instant the deviated flows to the theoretical values in the stabilized state corresponding to the speed of movement of the supply apparatus at the same moment.

The above three regulations may. each be efiected by actuating a valve inserted in the corresponding circuit. The movements of these valves may be eifected simultaneously, their suitable positions for a certain speed of the supply apparatus being obtained simultaneously by virtue of a single regulatory movement which is transmitted, through corresponding transmissions, to each of these valves.

At 3 mechanism is shown for effecting a third regulation, that is to say definite regulation of the feeding water controlled by the diiference of liquid'level in the separator 16 in the case of steam generators lacking water reserves.

The liquid vessel of the separator is the vessel 279; a pump or extractor 271 continuously removes from this vessel the amount of water that should be maintained in a liquid state to correspond to the proportion of non-vaporized liquid it is desired to keep in the saturated vapor upon its emergence from the vaporizer, to which effect, according to the arrangement described in my copending application Serial No. 492,03 6, filed June 24, 1943, the extractor 271 of the present apparatus is moved by the steam turbine 23 which moves the water pump 22, and the fuel pump 20 and the fan 21 of Figure 3. Consequently,-because of this arrangement a rising water level in the vessel 279 shows an excess of liquid in the vapor, that is to say an excess supply of water; a falling level shows a shortage of water supply.

The vessel 23th is disposed parallel to vessel 279 and at the same height. These two vessels communicate freely at their tops by means of a tube.

Each vessel is provided with an overflow which evacuates its water excess through a tube 29? and a trap 277.

The pump cylinder 2%, provided with a piston, is connected by its left end to the vessel 279, and by its right end to the vessel 28%.

An important function of the pitson is to efiect the final regulation of the water supply, the rod of this piston being prolonged in the form of a rack 237 which transmits, through the gear wheel 28%, a piston 671 and a hydraulic circuit, the movements of this piston previously combined with the other regulating or correcting effects to be applied to the original feeding stream of liquid to the regulating valve of the by-pass 31, and to the rheostat of the complementary liquid feeding group, which are respectively situated on each of the branches of the forked tubes which forms the by-pass of the pump 22 in Figure 3.

Let us suppose that this water supply is perfectly regulated in one operating state of the generator, that the levels of the vessels 276 and 239 are balanced, and that the piston rod 287 is in its mean position. The regulating piston 671 is then inactive.

If the load diminishes the steam production is excessive and its pressure increases. As the pressure increases,

the temperature also increases, and heat is required to raise the temperature of the non-vaporized part of said liquid. r

Consequently, the vaporized part diminishes and the non-vaporized part increases. At the same time the Water that existed in the vapor state in the vaporizer and in the separator is compressed and that compression brings about the liquefaction of a part of that vapor.

For all these reasons the water supply becomes excessive, the level of liquid in the vessel 279 will rise. The lack of equilibrium of level between the vessels 2'79 and 280 will push the piston rod 287 toward the right, and the regulation will commence to act, reducing the water supply. The liquid pushed out of cylinder 2% will go into the vessel 28%. At the same time a direct passage is opened for the liquid from vessel 270 to vessel 280.

These movements of liquid toward the vessel 280 tend to balance the levels of this vessel and of the vessel 270, and to reduce the movement of the piston 281 in consequence. A stabilizer, not shown, also tends to bring the piston rod 287 back to its normal position. To the normal position of this pistonrod corresponds the equilibrium of level of the liquids in tubes 2.94 and 295. Any deviation of the piston rod 237 from this normal position creates a lack of equilibruim between these levels, and, by virtue of this lack of equilibrium, at pressure is exerted by the stabilizer which tends to re-establish the normal position.

The greater the excessof generator water supply is, the more rapidly the liquid level rises in vessel 279 of the separator; and the greater and more rapid the movement of piston rod 287 is, the more intense is the regulation. If this regulation does not act rapidly enough and the two vessels fill, their overflows are situated at sufiiciently distinct levels so that their level dilierence pushes the piston 287 to the extreme right of its travel, thus producing the most intense regulatory action the installation permits. This maximum action is limited, because the other regulations and corrections depending upon the balance of the production with the load and upon the recent variations of said lead conjointly applied would produce by themselves a flow of water, very close to the most appropriate flow.

In the contrary case of an excessive reduction in the water supply flow, the level in the vessel 279 will fall, and rapidly create an out-of-level state with the vessel 28%). This disparity of level pushes the piston rod 287 toward the left, producing a regulatory movement which increases the supply.

Finally,-when the water supply is exactly adapted to requirements, the water level of the vessel 279 becomes stabilized, and equilibruim of level between this vessel and the vessel 280. is maintained. Moreover, the stabilizer tends to. place the piston rod 287 in its mean position, in the event that it is deflected from that position.

Fig. 2 shows the contrivance adopted to effect corrections corresponding to the consequences of variations in the thermal potential caused by variations in the consumption of vapor.

The thermal potential correspondingto a certain consumption of vapor is fixed if the vapor is produced at normal pressure, assuming that combustion is properly effected with the same excess of air.

The correction should therefore provide, when the consumption of vapor increases, the amount of combustion elements that the corresponding increase of thermal potential requires. These combustion elements should be provided in the time that the rate of heat expense takes to become normal, and in accordance with a law similar tothe. law for the rise of this thermal potential, that is to say with a greater intensity at the start, and successively decreasing. In a similar manner, when the consumption of vaporv is reduced the correction should withhold from the combustion elements supplied that portion compensated for by compensating the diminution in thermal po- 13 tential, in a time approximately equal to that which the new rate of operation requires to becomes stabilized, with an intensity which is greatest at the start and decreases progressively.

The complementary combustion elements that correspond to the increase of thermal potential corresponding to a rise in the consumption of vapor may be provided by supply apparatus having a volumetric output proportional to their speed and driven simultaneously by a variable speed motor. Or else they may be provided, in the case of liquid fuels, from fuel reservoirs and from air maintained at constant pressure and renewed at an opportune time; this second process being particularly appropriate to the case of generators having sudden and radical variations in consumption.

In the first case the regulation of the correction should act upon the apparatus for controlling the motor; upon the rheostat in the case of an electromotor; upon the steam distributing valve in the case of a turbine or steam engine.

In the second case the regulation of the correction should act simultaneously upon the fuel and air outlet valves.

The drawing comprises only the regulating apparatus capable of being applied indiscriminately to one or the other of these regulations, although, for the purpose of clarifying ideas, it is supposed to operate in the first case; that is to say, complementary supply apparatus are applied, driven by an electromotor whose rheostat is operated by the regulation.

In Figure 4 this rheostat is indicated by the numeral 300, and its control arm by the numeral 301. This arm is driven by, and in proportion to, movement of the rack 303 which prolongs the rod of the piston 394, this rack operating the pinion 302 splined upon the same shaft as this arm 301. In this form, the regulation of the rheostat depends upon the movements of the piston 304 which moves inside the cylinder 305.

This cylinder 305 occasionally receives steam through its base, through the conduit 3%. This steam lifts this piston. The air situated over the upper face of the piston, inside the cylinder 305 and the complementary vessel 307, is compressed when the piston rises; and this compression opposes this movement. As a consequence of this arrangement, there corresponds to a determined injection of steam into the cylinder a determined rise of the piston, which is reflected in the movement of the arm of the rheostat 300.

The cylinder is moreover provided on its exterior with radiating fins, and is cooled continuously through contact with the air. This cooling produces continuous condensation of the steam contained in the cylinder, the condensate being evacuated through the tube 308 and the drain 309. By virtue of this condensation, the piston descends slowly and progressively inside the cylinder, and the arm of the rheostat reflects this movement of the piston; so that in the end the intensity of the complementary supply of combustion elements, which begins on a scale that depends upon the amount of steam injected, decreases continuously and in the end becomes zero.

' The amount of vapor injected depends in its turn upon the velocity of the rack 102, and therefore upon the magnitude of the variation in vapor consumption.

102 represents the rack which, through the wheel llll, regulates the general movement of all the supply apparatus, that is to say the rack indicated by the same numeral as in Fig. 1. When this rack moves toward the right, it increases the speed of the general movement of the supply apparatus, that is to say it increases the production of vapor, responding to an increase of load.

The vapor intended for the cylinder 305 enters, through the tube 310, into the central cavity of a disk 311 which is surrounded by a cylinder 305a and which has a radial perforation or curved channel 312, through which the 14 vapor enters into the conduit 306. The solid disk 313, which is integral in movement with 311, bears a pawl 314 situated in such a manner that the movement of the rack toward the right rotates, by means of this pawl, the disks 313 and 311, whereas the movement of the rack toward the left produces only lifting of this pawl.

When the rack moves toward the right, one of its teeth enters into contact by its right-hand face with the pawl, and carries it along with it; the disk 311 is also rotated in this movement. Its radial channel 312 commences to position itself opposite the conduit 306, and the vapor enters into this conduit. Directly the vapor commences to move in this way in this channel, its inherent pressure acts upon the left wall of this channel, and hastens movement of the disks; but before the pawl in its descent occupies the lowermost position in the disk 313 it encounters the left face of the tooth which caused its movement, and this movement and that of the disks is stopped by said tooth, but the tooth is pressed against by the unbalance of the whole weight of the disk and pawl joint. The pawl then positions itself in the hollow of the rack formed between two successive teeth, and if the movement of this rack continues toward the right, it is carried along anew in a second turn, which brings to the cylinder 305 a new injection of vapor equal to the previous one.

From this we see that the correction made in this form increases with the movement of the rack, that is to say with the rise in the consumption of vapor.

The subtraction of a part of the supply of the combustion elements corresponds to the same correction, for the purpose of varying the thermal potential corre sponding to a reduction in the vapor consumption, and may be effected with extractor apparatus driven by a single variable-speed motor 335.

It may also be effected, when operating with a liquid fuel, by means of transmitting a part of the supply flows to the suction pipe of the fuel pump and to the atmosphere respectively. For this ptnpose We may preferably insert in the fuel feed pipe a constant pressure chamber, in such a fashion that to a determined opening of the extraction valve there always corresponds the same quantity of fuel extracted, no matter what the pump output may be.

The regulation of the rheostat or of the control valve of these motors or extraction valves is effected in exactly the same fashion as for the previously described case of an increase in consumption, and is carried out by the rack 323 and the cylinder 325 with the difference that the pawl 334 is so situated that the rack 192 drives the disks 333 and 331 solely in its movements toward the left, that is to say when the consumption of vapor decreases.

In the example represented in this application it is proposed to determine the corrections by means of the two apparatus of Figure 4. In the apparatus of the right side the positive corrections are determined (for producing increase of flows of the fuel and air through piston 621 of Figures 9 and 15, which movement depends upon the rack 3G3); and simultaneously in the apparatus of the left side the negative corrections are determined (for producing diminution of flows of fuel and air). The corresponding corrections are not applied directly, but combined with the other corrections.

The solution of the problem derived from alterations in the thermal potential of a generator caused by variations in the consumption of vapor comprises not only the automatic production of positive or negative corrective feeds, but also the distribution among the units of the generator of the positive or negative heat produced by these corrective feeds.

We may estimate that the increase to be made to the mean temperature of a unit vaporizer, superheater and economizer is approximately proportional to the increase of heat yielded by the smoke to that unit; however the mass to be heated is very variable, depending upon the 15 type of generator. 7 In generators deprived of a reserve of water, and of high production, the mass of the vaporizer according to its production is little, consequently it is necessary. to increase the proportion of heat intended for the superheater, and above all that heat intended for the economizer. The mass of the economizer is substantially variable, according to the degree of heat recovery sought, according to the metal used (cast iron or steel) and to the type of construction (plain or irregular contour). As the weight of the vaporizer increases, the proportion of heat to be allotted to it also increases. The distribution referred to therefore varies for each type of generator, and consequently in each requires a determination of the proportions, to be applied to the transmission to the difierent units, of the heat produced by the corrective action.

The effects of a sudden variation in pressure will in accordance with the invention be corrected as follows:

A decrease in pressure causes spontaneousevaporation of a portion of the water reserve; an increase in pressure produces a decrease in the production of vapor. One or the other of these effects, in relation with the production of vapor, represents the automatic correction of defects in the adaptation of the production to the consumption, and are not modified by the invention. But in order that the indications of the level of the reserve may exactly represent the equilibrium existing between the normal production of vapor and its consumption, independently of this accidental production, it is necessary to replace the disappeared water in the case of an occasional excess of evaporation; or, in the case of a diminution of the evaporation, to compensate for this diminution by a corresponding diminution of the liquid supply. And to reestablish normal heating conditions it is necessary in case of spontaneous evaporation to provide, in a complementary manner, the superheated With the amount of heat necessary to superheat this accidental production of vapor, and to provide the economizer with the amount of heat required for heating the correcting liquid which replaces the evaporated liquid, when the pressure decreases in the contrary case of radical load reduction to subtract from the heat intended for these units the quantity corresponding to the heating of the liquid in the economizer and of the vapor in the superheater, of the water deducted from the normal supply.

The magnitude of the corrective supply is determined with an apparatus of the type of Fig; 2, in which the rack 162, instead of being operated by virtue of variations in the speed of the liquid, fuel and air feeding apparatus, is operated by virtue of variations in the pressure of the generator, in the form disclosed at in Fig. 3.

As respects the increase or decrease of heat applied to the superheater as well as to the economizer, by virtue of these variations of water supply, they depend not only upon the magnitude of these variations but also upon the pressure of the vapor at the same moment. At 7 is shown the apparatus which applies to the determination of the complementary heat which corresponds to the occasional liquid feedings effected by virtue of the movements of the rack 303 of the apparatus of Fig. 2 adapted as above mentioned.

At 7, 507 is a shaft which carries two cams in the form of truncated cones which are of irregular cross section. These truncated cones are integral with the rotary movement of the shaft 507; but they are able to slide along the shaft. Weak springs separate these cams, and keep them respectively in contact with pistons of hydraulic circuits 701 and 7 92. a

The rack 303 of the apparatus of Fig. 2 applied to this regulation drives two other pistons, which enter further into the same hydraulic circuits as the correction becomes greater. As a result of this arrangement, the lateral movements of the cams reflects the magnitude of the corrective feeding liquids provided to respond to pressure decreases.

One cam is designed to determine the quantity of heat which should be supplied to the econornizer, and the other the quantity of heat which should be supplied to the superheater, the two corresponding to the said corrective feeding liquids. These quantities of heat are measured, in the hydraulic circuits by, the displacements of liquid corresponding to the movements of the pistons 727 and 726. These pistons aremaintained, by the pressure of the liquid, in contact with the cams, in such wise that the relative values of the radii drawn to the points of contact of the cams with the pistons (in comparison with the radius of correction zero) measure the quantities of heat to be supplied to the superheater and to the economizer, at the same moment. These quantities of heat will be faithfully transmitted under the control of the hydraulic circuits 761 and 7 G2.

Because the heat to be supplied varies with the pressure, the angular position of the cams, in the rotary movement of the shaft 507 which carries them with it, depends upon the pressure, in such wise that to a determined value of the corrective flow of Water and of the pressure there corresponds, in each cam, a point of contact with the associated piston; and the exterior surface of the cam is constructed in such a fashion that its radius at this point (relatively to the radius of correction zero) measures the quantity of heat to be supplied to the corresponding unit. The angular position of the shaft 507 which carries with it in this movement the cam, is established by the magnitude of the pressure. The pressure is measured and its effect is transmitted as a rotary movement to the shaft 507.

The determination of the reductions that should be made in the heats intended for the superheater and the economizer as a consequence of an increase of pressure in the vaporizer is similarly effected.

The effect in the vaporizer of a pressure increase is determined in an apparatus of the type of Fig. 2, whose rack 102 is operated by virtue of the pressure variations of the generator. The rack corresponding to 323 of Figure 2 measures the corrective effect and transmits this measure through hydraulic circuit 534, to the respective cams of a second coaxial pair, for controlling their sliding movements along a common shaft, thus determining at each moment the axial position of these cams.

The cams are solidary with the rotary movement of their supporting shaft 537, and the angular position of this shaft and of these cams depends, at each instant, upon the pressure of the generator. The magnitude of the reductions to be made to the heats intended for the superheater and the economizer respectivelycorresponds to the correction, translated by the movements of the pistons 731 and 732 of the hydraulic circuits 701 and 702. The emergence of these pistons, relatively to their emersion in the case of zero correction, measures this correction; and the cams are constructed in such a fashion as to impart, in each of their positions, to the corresponding pistons the appropriate displacements that exactly correspond to that correction. V

The pressure variation does not act solely upon the water reserve of the generator. It also causes variations in the thermal potentials of three generator units as described immediately below. When the pressure decreases, the latent heat of vaporization per pound of steam increases, and the superheating that the vapor requires to maintain a predetermined temperature also increases. On the contrary, the heat that the economizer ought to transmit to the liquid in order to raise its temperature to boiling point decreases.

The vaporizer should therefore increase its transmission of heat. This increase in the transmission of heat from the vaporizer also requires an increase in its thermal potential, because the decrease of the temperature of the water and the increase in speed of the combustion gases generally increase the transmission of heat in an insufiicient proportion.

In the superheater also, the decrease in the tempera- 17 I hire of the vapor at itsentry thereinto, and the increase in the speed of the gases, are insuflicient to produce the necessary increase of heat transmission; and consequently thethermal potential of this unit should be increased.

On the contrary, the economizer should transmit .a smaller amount of heat, and its thermal potential should be reduced.

'Thetotal heat should be able to increase. It is therefore necessary to also provide complementary combustion elements that is, fuel and air.

The determination of the compensatory corrections of the variations in thermal potential of each of the units that areicom'prised by the generator, and of their combination," corresponding to a decrease in the pressure of the vapor produced is determined by means of the apparatus not shown. I

' This apparatus is like that of Fig. 2, except that in stead of responding to the movement that drives all the supply apparatus as does rack102of Fig. 2, it conforms to'the movements of a piston which receives upon one face the pressure of'the generator vapor, and .upon ,its

other face a compensatory pressure of compressed air maintained at a constant temperature.

The combination forms a compressed air manometer, and the position'of the piston reflects the value of the pressure of the vapor.

.The, corrections made necessary by pressure decreases are applied from a piston 604 through a piston 728 to the 'superheater control circuit 701, through a piston 729 to the economizer control circuit 702, and through a piston 730 to the vaporizer control circuit 700.

,In the same way the corrections corresponding to pressure increases are applied from a piston 614 through a piston 734 to the superheater control circuit 701,

through a piston 735 to the economizer control circuit 702, and through a piston 733 to the vaporizer control circuit 700.

Thetwo hydraulic circuits 702 and 700 combine, and in this form. the corrections that they effect are added algebraically together but the positivecorrections that,

represent an increase in the amount of heat displace the liquid of the circuit in one direction, while the negative corrections that represent a diminution in the amount ofheat displace the liquid of the circuit in the opposite direction. i

There finally remain to be effected the correctionscorresponding to variations in the thermal distribution of the generator as a consequence of a pressure variation, since pressure variations affect the requirements of .heat

of each unit; vaporizer, superheater. and economizer.

The preceding correction related to a modificationof the,.thermal potential that the same pressure variation required, in such a fashion as to adapt the thermal potentialof. each unit to the new rate of heat absorption of the unit.- But whereas this adaptation of the thermal enceszshould be considered becausethey vary the normal operating conditions taken as a basis for this system of regulation. .If we in particular consider the case of a still lower pressure'and a constant steam demand, thevaporizer and the superheater require more heat, while the eco'nomizer requires less heat; in all, the three units require more heat. It is therefore necessary to increase the proportion of combustion elements, relatively to the supply of water; and we should also vary the distribution" theisupply of: water is adapted tothe pressure variations" at the same time as we adapt this same proportion to the variations in the output of the'generator; and the regular potential.representsonly an amount of heat .to be pro videdor subtracted 'once for each variation, an abnormal pressure so long as it exists creates a permanentdiflerence in'the thermal rate of each unit; and'these differtion inthis form of this proportion is effected by acting upon' the supply fiow of water and by maintaining the combustion elements supply invariable.

Many of the secondary regulations and of the corrections that the invention comprises have been described andillustrated as operating separately, and it is possible to operate in that manner ifwe refrain from an important part of these regulations or corrections; and, in manyinstallations, we may for example eliminate all or the major part of the corrections that correspond to variations in the pressure of the vapor. The invention however, in the case of general application, provides that the effects of the various secondary regulations or corrections that affect a common supply are based upon a single effect, by means of the already mentioned process of the hydrauliccircuit, in such a fashion as to finally effect a single secondary regulation of each supply, re-

ary regulations and corrections.

The hydraulic circuit 620 combines all of the correc-,

tions thataffect the combustion elements.

The pistons 621 and 622 transfer to this circuit the compensatpry corrections of the variations of thermal potentialcorresponding to variations in the consumption of vapor, these corrections being established by an apparatus of the type of Fig. 2, whose racks 303 and 323 carry along with them in their movement, directly or indirectly, each of these pistons respectively; the piston 303 rises, andthe piston rack 3 2 3 sinks.

,Thepistons and 6 24 transfer to the same circuit the corrections corresponding to the spontaneous evapo-. ration of the liquid that the generator pressure variations produce in the water reserve; these corrections being established by an apparatus of the type of Fig. 2, the.

lower rack 102 of which moves by virtue of the variations of an. air manometer, and the racks 323 and 303 of which carry each of these pistons respectively along with them in their movement; the first rack plunging the piston 623 into the circuit when it rises, and the second plunging'the piston 624 into the circuit when it descends.

The pistons 625 and 626 transfer to this circuit 620 the compensatory. corrections of the variations of thermal potential corresponding to the pressure variations of the generator.

The displacement of the circuit liquid resulting from all these partial displacements produced by all these pistons moves the piston 627, which operates by means of the rack 628 upon two rheostats: the'first applied to regulating the motor which drives the fuel and air complernentary supply apparatus; and the second regulating the motor for the apparatus which extract from the orig inal fuel and air flows their excess in accordance with the combined result of the secondary regulations and corrections. i v

The hydraulic circuit 680 combines allthe secondary regulations and corrections that affect the water supply.

The first regulation, represented by the movements of i the piston 650, combines the results of the secondary regulation and the correction relative to the influence of the existing pressure, and it consequently rectifies the mutual proportions of water and combustion elements, in accord-" ance with the heat required by one pound of water under the conditions of vapor consumption and pressure existing at the same moment. The applied device is the following 222 indicates a receptacle. It is provided with a vertical tube provided with a float; ,A float, suspended by a cable, is connected through the cable to a shaft upon which a drum 661 which is mounted for rotation with the shaft, but withcapacity for axial movement relative to the shaft. The piston 6501s constantly in contact, by its upper part,

with this drum. An air manometer moves the drum 661:

axially, determining its axial position in that direction at 622 plunging into the circuit when the .19 every moment, depending upon the pressure. of the generator at the same moment. Moreover, the angularposition of the drum, in its rotary movement, depends upon the height of the float, consequently upon the lievelof'thc liquid in the vessel 222, that is to say upon. the production of vapor.

i The drum 661 is constructed such a fashion that when the angular position of the" drurn'correspouds to a steam production a and its' lateral position corresponds-to the steam pressure I) there corresponds for thepoint' of the drum in contact with the piston 650'; aradial distance from the shaft such that it imparts to thepiston'" animmersion into the hydraulic circuit appropriate to" these values zr and b respectively of the steam" production and the stearn'pressure.

The second correction, which is'related to'the' positive or negative spontaneous" evaporation pro'ducedby a p1'essure variation; is transmitted to the hydraulic circuit- 680 by thepistons 669 and 670i is established, insuch a fashion that its movements respond to variations i'n the vapor pressure".

Finally the piston 67-1 transmitst'othe circuitf 680'Sthe correction established by the secondary" regulation operated by virtue of variations in the level of Water in the generator water reserve, or, if'noreserveexists, try-virtueofivariationsof water level in 'the'separator.

The total displacement ofi the'liquid oflthe' circu'it680 byWi 'rtueof all these corrections representsttieresultant of theirefli'ects, andproduces the movement of the-piston 672; which istransmitted by the rack 673 and suitably gearing to the arms of two rheost-ats; the first reg'ulatihg the movements of the complementary supply-pump (30 of Fig. 3), the second regulating the movements: of the apparatus (30A of Fig. 3) extracting waterfront-the original t supply flow. I

Finally the regulation for' the dist-ribution of fumes or. smoke comprises two operations! The first has" the-pur poseof establishingthe amount of heattobetranSmit-ted to eachof the three units of the generator-. The second" has-- the purpose of establishing suitable openingsin the fiues for deviating the smoke toward the superheater and the economizer respectively and directly.- I

The algebraic'sum of positive on negative partial heat's that eachl unit' vaporizer, super-heater and economi'zer, hereinafter referred to as the basic unit's;- requires is realized by' applyingthecontrol deviees z forthe vaporizet V in the hydraulic circuit 790, for the superheater in; the

hydraulic circuit 701, and for the economizerin the li ydr-aulic circuit 702. I F

The amount ofheat' that a unit requires unden nonna l operating; conditions, taking. the p'roductionof vaponand the existing pressure intoiaccount is establishedifon each oftheseunits, andis transmitted tohthe'l respective; l'iy' draulic circuits 761i), 761and702 byzthe pistons 703,704

and 705;.

The determination of. theseamountssof heatlis. effected. in an apparatus similar to that relating to element: 66 13 withthe followingdifierencest 7 a Three successive drums are combined upona commonnshaft 713, which respectively determine the heat required for the vaporizer, .for the superheater. and. for theeconomizer.

and mounted I Thevariations in the production of vapor,.measuredibythe variations of level in thevesseli222 applyto thelateralt: sliding, movement of. the three drums upon .theirshaft;

and; for this'purpose, a cable, fastened by. oneof-its endsi to the nearest of" these drums. and by its other end to afloat, communicates to this drum unit the movement's-oh the heat;

The vapor pressure variations are in turn applied todetermine the angular position-of the three drumsin their common rotary movement about their shaft7131 The lateral surfaces of the respective drumsare established'tin such" a fashion that; in each of their positions,

the immersion that they produce of the corresponding.

the moment, saidvapor pressure production estahlishiiig".

the position ofthe drum. V

The positive or negative heats required to raise the thermal potentials of the units when the roduction increases, or to reduce them when the production decreases, are designed to keep the same proportion, no matter Whatthe production of the generator'ma'y be.

These corrections are established by the apparatus of Fig. 2, as has been described.

The rack 3030f Fig. 2 operates by means of a rod terminated'by a bar which carries the three pistons: 720 of the hydraulic circuit 700 of the vaporizer, 721 ofthe hydraulic circuit 701' of the superheater, and 722 of the hydraulic circuit 702 of the economizer, in such fashion that the more the rack 303 rises the more the pistons are plunged into the circuits.

The rack 323 of Fig. Zoperates in a similar'manner with respect to a rod and a bar'that terminates that rod, the" pistons 723 of the hydraulic circuit 700 of the vaporizer, 724' of the hydraulic circuit 701 of the superheaten and' 725 of the hydraulic circuit 702 of the economizer, in' su'chtashion that the higher this rack 323 rises, the more the pistons which are operated emerge from their respective circuits.

Thepositive" or negative heats necessary to compensate in the superheater and economizer for the spontaneous production or reduction of'vapor caused by a variation in the pressure of the generator resulting from variable load steam demand are determined by the apparatus of Fig. 2, modified-'in the sense that its rack 102 is operated by an air manometer.

These quantities of heat are respectively transmitted: to 'the superheater'bythe pistons 726 and 731, and to'the economizer by the pistons 727 and 732.

The positive or negative heats that should be transrnit-tedto'the three units when, by virtue of a decrease iri pressure thethermal potentials of the vaporizer and of the' superheater should be raised, and the thermal poten-- tial ofi'the economizer should be reduced, are transmitted by pistons 730, 728 and 729, respectively, 'tothe hydraulic circuits70i), 7 01- and 702.

I The positive or negative beats that should be transmitted to the three units when, by virtue of a rise in the pressure: the thermal potentials ofthe vaporizer and of theisuperheater should be reduced and the thermal potentialotztheeconomizer should be increased, are transmitted 7 by-1pi'st5ons-21733 ,7434 and 735 respectively to the hydraulic ClI'CHitS1700,""/01 and 702'. Einallyrthe. pistons 736- and- 737 respectively are moved bythermostats (1Q; and1 3'of Fig; 3 which indicatedie temperatures; otlthe: superheated vapor and of the water uponaemerginga from the economizer', and which operate 'ilisuch arfashion' that these:temperatures are kept c'on stant 1,.Eadh regulation. is operated sc -that its intensity. automatically.- increases: when the deviation: of the regu lated temperatureafromits:norms.increases.

l-ri1-.eachhydraulic circuit the positive ornegative dis Placements" of; the liquid produced by the movements oi the various pjistonsproduce, as a general effect, thedis placement-pf: another. piston; and this displacement repre sents the algebraic sum. ofcthe: quantities of. heatre'quirede athe qn po na n In, this forme' the displacements ofi the. pistons1738 739? and; 74G represent the total: heat that should-I be furnished to the vaporizer, the superheater and. the r economizergre pe t ly. V

The apparatus adopted -forfithe purpose of performing the complementary operationhof regulating. the distribution of the smoke by virtue oi? the variations in vapor temperature at. its erne1 gence frorru the; superheaten com; 7 which: is; by passed.a .portion:.ofr.ther

P us ia et 5 vapon fiow upon itsernergence. from the superheatercthe condensates.

regulator which acts upon the inlet valve.

A tube or a group of tubes made of copper and comprised in the tube 750, which constantly receives from apump a flow of cooling water from an outer source of invariable output and temperature, is conducted upward through a tube (not shown) which passes through the tube 750 and delivers into a chamber'754. The nonevaporated liquid which enters the chamber 754 is removed by a drain (not shown). The vapor produced moves downward into the interior tube of a condenser 756 formed by two concentric tubes; the exterior tube having flowing through it, in adirection contrary to the interior flow, a coolant current of water from an outer source of constant flow and temperature, the interior tube being terminated by a drain (not shown) that evacuates Such operating conditions produce a state of equilibrium between the heating within the tube 750 and the cooling in the condenser 756; each of these states being characterized by the magnitude of the pressure in the vessel 754. To a certain temperature of the superheated vapor corresponds a certain absorption of heat by the liquid en route to the chamber 754 and a certain pressure in the chamber 754. The pressure in the chamber 754 therefore measures the temperature of the superheated vapor and that correspondence constitutes the base of the regulation as explained below. This apparatus effects the regulation as follows:

IThe vapor from the vessel 754 acts inside a cylinder 759 upon one face of a piston. Upon the other face of this piston acts the fixed hydraulic pressure of an accumulator (not shown) established in such a fashion as to exactly balance the pressure of the vessel 754 when the temperature of the superheated vapor is normal. The liquid product of the condensation of the vapor in the cylinder 759 is evacuated through a drain (not shown).

The rod of the piston in 754, prolonged in the form of piston 736, enters the hydraulic circuit 701. It transmits to that circuit the corrections that result from deviations of thetemperature of the superheated vapor relatively to the normal. When the temperature of this superheated vapor is less than normal, the pressure in the vessel 754 is less than that of the accumulator 762, the piston descends and plunges the piston 736 into the hydraulic circuit 701, increasing the heat that the regulation should transmit to the superheater. a

The :speed of the movement of the piston 736depends upon the speed of translation of the liquid of the accumulator, from the accumulator to the cylinder 759. Provision is made of means for varying the resistance of the liquid path between the accumulator and the cylinder 759 automatically according to the magnitude of departure of the temperature of the superheated vapor from normal.

When the temperature of the superheated vapor deviates little from normal, the passage of liquid from the accumulator to the cylinder 759 or the other way around is high. The movement of the piston 736 in the hydraulic circuit 701 is also slow.

When the temperature of the superheated vapor deviates, substantially from normal, passing a first limit of deviation, the resistance to passage of the liquid from the accumulator to the cylinder 759 or the other way around is reduced, and the volume of liquid transmitted in a given time is consequently considerably increased. The movement of the piston 736 in the hydraulic circuit 701 is increased in the same proportion.

- Finally, when the temperature of the superheated vapor deviates greatly from normal, passing a second limit of deviation, the resistance to passage of the liquid from the accumulator to the cylinder or the other way around is greatly reduced, and consequently the volume of liquid transmitting in a given time is increased greatly.

Qonsequently the movement of the piston 736 in the hydraulic circuit 7 01 is more rapid.

Mechanism applied to regulating the valves of the fiues for deviating the'smoke directly to thesuperheater and the economizer is controlled by the displacements of the pistons 738, 739 and 740, which measure the quantities of heat to be transmitted at each instant to the vaporizer, superheater and economizer.

The piston 739, correspondingto the superheater, carries with it in its movement two other pistons 840 and 841, which operate respectively in the hydraulic circuits 842 and 843. The piston 738 of the vaporizer operates in the same hydraulic circuit 843, and the piston 748 operates in the hydraulic circuit 844. In this form the total displacement of the liquid of the hydraulic circuit 843, which is translated through the movement of the piston 850, represents the quantity of heat required by the vaporizer and the superheater together. The displacement of the liquid of the hydraulic circuit 842 represents the quantity of heat required by the superheater alone. And the displacement of the liquid of the hydraulic circuit 844 represents the quantity of heat required by the economizer. j

A mechanism 14 comprises a shaft and two drums mounted thereon which are intended to control the dampers of the tines for by-passing the smoke deviateddirectly to the superheater and the economizer. A gear wheel, splined upon this shaft, establishes at each 'instant the angular position of the two drums that follow the rotary movement of the shaft. The drums are capable of an axial sliding movement along the shaft. The gear wheel is moved by a rack which prolongsthe piston 850 of the hydraulic circuit 843. These contrivances produce the result that the angular positions of the drums 847and 856 depend at each instant upon the position of the piston 850, and consequently reflect; the total quantity of heat required at the same instant by the vaporizer and the superheater together.

The sliding movementsof the drums are controlled respectively by the circuits 842 and 843.

The quantity of heat required by the superheater is measured at each instant by the displacement of piston which plunges into the circuit 842. This piston carries one of the drums along with it in its movement.

Because of these contr'ivances, the axial position of the drum referred to reflects at each instant the magnitude of the heat required by the superheater.

The indications of the drum 847 are transmitted by a piston 860 to a hydraulic circuit 862; and the external surface of said drum is constructed in such a fashion that the radial distance from the point of the drum in contact with the piston 860' to its shaft axis at each moment represents the suitable opening of thedamper for deviating the smoke toward the superheater when the heats required respectively by the vaporizeron the one hand and the superheater on the other hand are those measured by the displacements of the pistons 738 i of thehydraulic circuit 700 and 739 of the hydraulic circuit701.m',

In this form, the displacement of liquid produced by the piston 860 in the hydraulic circuit 862 exactly represents the suitable opening for the damper 871, which is transmitted to the damper 871 by the piston 870.

"The second drum operates" like the first, except for the difference that its axial movement is produced by -a piston of the hydraulic circuit 844, whose displacements measure the heat required by the-economizer. The ex terior surface of this drum is constructed in such a 'fash ion that the radial distance from the point of that surface in contact with the piston 861 at any moment to its shaft axis represents the suitable opening of the damper of the flue for the smoke deviated toward the economizer when its heat is required: on the one hand by the vaporizer and the superheater together, and on the otherhand by the economizer. Y I

Said, opening measured by the displacement of piston 861 is transmitted .to the corresponding damper by the piston 861, the hydraulic circuit 863 and the piston882 ofthe'damper controlled through the circuit 862.

, Fig.3 represents the total regulationfor aforced draft vapor generator heated-by petroleum, and comprising: a vaporizer 15, a water separator 16 operated by the vapor upon its emergence from the vaporizer 15, a superheater 17, an economizer 18 and an air preheater 19.

The economizer is designed to constantly heat the feed watet-to' the temperature of the vaporizer in such a fashion that this water commences to boil directly it enters hqy bo e e The feed to the generator is-effected by meansof the.

fuel pump 20, the fan 21, and the water pump 22. All these apparatus have a volumetric output proportional to their speed, and are driven with a single drive motion produced by the steam turbine 23, fed by the main steam line 100.

The same drive motion drives the pump 24, which extracts from the bottom of the separator 16 a quantity of water proportional at any moment to the water feed flow,--,that is to say that this quantity extracted represen theiwater that should moisten the vapor upon its emergence from the vaporizer. To this effect the pumps 20 and 22 must produce outputs proportional to their speeds, and the ratio between those outputs represents the ratio of the liquid it is desired to maintain unevaporated in the vaporizer to the total liquid entering said vaporizer.

The regulations and corrections classified according to the distinct equipments applied to determine the same, comprise:

(1-) Thegeneral regulation of movement 1, shown in detail in Fig. 1, which acts upon the 'valve 25 of the drive turbine 23.

(2) The regulations carried out by the apparatus indicatedby thenurnber 2-, reduced to the pump 220, the reservoirs 222 and 224, the corresponding connections, and various tubes comprising a float. The movements of these, floats actuate:

(a) The air regulating valve 26 (directly by means of a pulley which the float causes .toturn);

(b) The water regulation 27;

(c) The smoke regulation 11 (pistons 703, 704 and 705);

(d) The regulation of the apparatus 5 which establishes the corrections relative to'variations in the thermal potential under the influence *of a pressure decrease;

(3) The liquid regulation carried out through the ap-' paratus '3 which cooperates in the regulation of the water.

(4) The corrections carried out through the apparatus shown in Fig. 2, which simultaneously operates the pistons corresponding to the regulations of the combustion elements (pistons 621 and 622) and the pistons corresponding to -the regulations of the distributions of smoke or fumes (pistons 720, 721, 722, 723, 724 and 7-25) for the purpose of determining the suitable corrections corresponding to variations in thermal potential produced by variations in the consumption of vapor. It' is indicated by the number 4 in Fig. 3.

(5) The corrections carried out through the same apparatus of Fig. 2, modified in the sense that its rack 102 is controlled by an air manometer measuring the vapor pressure. .This apparatus determines the suitable corrections corresponding to the spontaneous evaporation of the water contained in the boiler or the tubes of the generator, under. the effect of a decrease in pressure; and to the reduction in evaporation produced by an increase .in pressure. This apparatus directly actuates the pistons corresponding-to the regulation of the water (pistons 3669 and 670) and those corresponding to the regulation of the combustion elements (pistons 623 and 624); and the pistons corresponding to'the regulation of the distribution :of =fti'tnes or smoke (pistons 726, 127, 731 #732): -It is indicated by the number 4 A in Fig.3.

(6,) The corrections carried out through the apparatus 5 which determines the suitable corrections corresponding to variations of potential corresponding to variations of generator pressure. p This apparatus directly operates;

the pistons corresponding'tothe regulation of the combustion elements (pistons 625 and 626), and indirectly the pistons corresponding to the regulation of the smoke (pistoris 728, 72 9, 730, 733, 734 and 735).

,(7 The regulation carried out through the thermostat operating by virtue of the temperature variations of the superheated vapor, which operates the piston corresponding to the regulation of the smoke distribution (736). It is indicated'by the number 12 in Fig. 3.

(8) The regulation carried out through the thermostat operating by virtue of the temperature variations of the water emerging from the economizer, which controls the piston corresponding to the regulation of the smoke distribution (piston 737). It is indicated by the number 13in Fig. 3. The combinations of the anterior regulations or corrections corresponding to the same feeding or heating stream are effected and its results are applied through the following apparatus.

. (9) The piston whose displacement represents the overallefiect of the regulations and corrections of the original supplies of the combustion elements (627) indicated by the vnumber 9 in Fig. 3, which, when it is situated to the right of its normal position, simultaneously operates the rheostats of the two electromotors 28 and 28A whose speeds mutually keep a fixed ratio through their variations. The first of these motors 23 drives the auxiliary fuel-pump 4i), situated below pump 20 in the drawing, Fig. ,3; and the second 28A drives an auxiliary fan 41, situated above and to the right of fan 21-. When this piston 627 is situated to the left of its normal position, it operates, in a dial plate the arm of a rheostat; and the movements of. this arm, transmitted mechanically, hydraulically or electrically in suitable gradual-tions, simultaneously regulate the positions of a by-pass valve 29'in.the fuel pump (below the auxiliary pump 40 in Fig. 3) and a by-pass in the air fan (control 29A).

These by-pass valves may of course have substituted for them a pump and fan, both of extraction type, driven in thesame manner as the pump and the fan 28.

(10 The piston 10, whose displacement represents the overall effect of the regulations and corrections of the original Water supply (672). When it is situated to the left of its normal position the piston operates the rheostats of the electromotors 30 and 30A, whose speeds maintain a mutually constant ratio. The first of these motors .30 drives a pump situated in the right branch 34 of the forked tube which forms the by-pass of the .pump 22; and the second 30A operates a complementary water extractor connected to the extreme right of the pipe which connects this separator .to the extractor 24. The outflow of water from the extractor vpump 30A 'c'ombines with that from the extractor 24, and the two are evacuated by a drain (not shown).

The same piston, when it is situated to the right of its normal position, operates the rheostat of the electro-' motor 3'1A which drives a pump 32 which supplies to the inletpipe 33 of the extractor 24 a portion of the output of Water removed by this extractor from the separator 16; forminga by-pass which reduces the water extracted the by-pa'ss of the pump 22, regulating the return ofwater to the suction side of this pump, which is effected by this by-pass.

. Of course this return ma 'be effected, as asubstitute for the valve, by means of an extractor driven by an electromotor, and the regulation would operate-the thee- (11) Finally the pistons whose displacements represent "the total quantities of heat to be transferred retons 882 and 870, whose immersions into their hydraulic circuits represent the suitable openings for the smoke deflecting flues 36 and 38, control the dampers 37 and 39 of these lines.

In a complementary way the figure provides heating regulation for the air preheater, using smoke, in such a fashion as to constantly keep the temperature of this air heated. For this purpose a direct by-passing to the chimney of a portion of the smoke is effected by the flue 41, from a point situated in the heating circuit of the preheater. A damper 42 regulates the quantity of smoke deviated. The movements of this damper in their turn are controlled by a thermostat 43, situated at the outlet of the reheated air from the air reheater; and the control actuates the valve in such a fashion as to keep the temperature of the reheated air constant.

Not all vapor generators require an application of all the partial regulations and corrections that have been shown in Fig. 3. Frequently the greatest pressure variations are of sufficiently small magnitude or short duration to permitof totally or partially omitting the corresponding corrections. Corrections relating to the thermal potentials of the various units relatively to pressure variations are generally eliminated in the first place. The correction corresponding to the variation in the quantity of heat to be transferred to or taken from the economizer in order to adapt its requirements to a pressure variation may often be omitted or at least be reduced. For example the fact that in the case of apressure'decrease a poorly regulated economizer superheats the water relatively to the temperature of the vaporizer is not any inconvenience, and on the contrary represents a correction of the subnormal pressure.

Superheatingthe feed water produces a spontaneous boiling effect on this water upon its entry into the vaporizer, 'which promotes increasing the transmission of heat through the tubes of this vaporizer, and consequently an increase in the production of vapor, which contributes to compensate for the shortage that caused the subnormal pressure.

In generators that operate with infrequent variations in consumption we may even eliminate corrections of the thermal potentials of its units corresponding to variations in consumption. However the processes for regulating the supply apparatus by virtue of variations in vapor pressure, complementary regulations of the water, of the air, and smoke deviations may be applied to all generators comprising two, three or four units.

I have described what I believe to be the best embodiments of my invention. I do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodiments shown, but what I desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A steam generator comprising a cylinder (305 or 325) said generator comprising a distributor adapted to operate in response to load variations which successively augment the departure in an elected direction of said load from a previously existing stable load, to supply to the cylinder 305 or 325 amounts of steam proportional to the value of said successive variations, and to cause the cylinder to apply said amounts to the determination of value of the corrections required to compensate the variation of the thermal potential of the generator corresponding to the successive load variations; the distributor further comprising a moving feeding disk, a shaft upon which the disk is applied 26 and from'which it receives steam, said disk being provided with a curved slot that extends from the center through the periphery thereof, a cylinder 305 or 325 surrounding the disk and provided at its top with a vertical conduit which communicates with the bottom of the cylinder 305 or 325 so that the slot and the cylinder 305 or 325 constitute as a whole a valve permitting passage toward the cylinder 305 or '325 of the steam received by the disk only when the peripheral extremity of said slot crosses the lower end of the vertical conduit, a second disk fixed to the shaft ex-' teriorly to the cylinder 305 or 325*, a pawl carried by the second disk at the periphery thereof, a toothed bar engageable with the pawl and movable in opposite directions, respectively, in response to increase and de crease of the load, said pawl being operable by the baronly when the load is varying in the selected direction, in which case the pawl in its movement drives the disk on which it is carried, the shaft, and the feedingdisk,

until the curved slot of said feeding disk reaches a position in front of the lower end of the vertical conduit, thereby enabling a vapor current to flow through the slot, and to push the feeding disk in the direction of its movement, sufiiciently to cause the slot to be passed beyond the lower end of the vertical conduit, and the pawl to be newly engaged between two successive teeth of the bar, in position to be again actuated as described in response to further movement of the bar in the same direction the construction and arrangement being such that the described operation is repeated so long as'said load variations continue. a 2. In combination with a steam generator of the drumless forced flow type having a vaporizer, a superheater' and an economizer and a separator between the vaporizer and the superheater, an auxiliary power unit comprising liquid, air and fuel supply apparatus and a power means adapted to drive all of said apparatus in unison; a regulating device controlled by deviations of steam generator pressure from normal, operating only when the: existing'generator pressure deviation is increasing, and with a velocity which increases as the velocity of the devia-.

tory movement of the pressure increases, and more'rapidly than said last velocity comprising: a hydraulic accumulator, a cylinder 105, a piston movable in said cylinder, and a bar carried by'the piston and constitutingv the regulator organ, said piston being disposed con stantly to receive the pressure of vapor under the full generator pressure on one face, and when operating to receive on the other face operating liquid from the hydraulic accumulator of a pressure which is constant and equal to the predetermined pressure chosen as normal pressure for the generator, a hydraulic rheostat intercalated in the conduit of said operating liquid from the cylinder to the accumulator, said rheostat comprising successive tubes to provide an increased resistance for each tube included in the circuit from the first tube to the last, the inlet of the first tube being permanently con nected with the cylinder 105, said rheostat including tubes beginning with the last, means for varying the number of the by-passed tubes according to the velocity of the deviatory movement of the pressure; and a branched connector constituted by two parallel tubes that can be alternatively run over by the operating liquid; a check valve in the first of those tubes that always prevents the flow of liquid from the cylinder 105 toward the accumulator through the first tube but permits the flow of liquid from the accumulator toward the cylinder 105 when the pressure in the cylinder is less than the accumulator pressure, said first tube terminating in a valve port 208 which is open when the generator pressure is falling but closed when the generator pressure is increasing to prevent the flow of liquid from the accumulator toward the cylinder 105 when the generator pressure is increasing, so that the liquid can pass from the accumulator 2.7 toward the?cylinder105' through the first tube only when the generator pressure is-lower than the normal pressure and continues to fall; a check-valve in the second of those tubes that always prevents the flow of liquid from the accumulator toward the cylinder 105 through the second tube but permfits theflow of liquid from the cylinder 105 toward the accumulator when the pressure in the cylinder 1-05 is greater than the accumulator pressure,-'saidsecond ,tube terminating in a valve port 209- which is open when the generator pressure is increasing butclosed when the generator pressure is falling to prevent'the flow of liquid from the cylinderl-OS toward the accumulator when the generator pressure is falling, so that the liquid'can pass from the cylinder 105 toward the accumulator through the second tube only when the generator pressure is higher than normal pressure and continues to rise; means to regulate the by-passingol the successive tubes ot-the hydraulic rheostat, which means comprises a cylinder 140, a piston movable in said cylinder, a conduit connected to deliver generator vapor to one end of the cylinder 140, a closed tank of constant volume permanently, connected with the opp'osite end of thecylinde'r, and a venturi interposed in the vapor conduit from the generator to the cylinder 140, so that the velocity of the vapor in said venturi measures the velocity of departurerof the pressure of the generator from its normal value, a fluid manometer responsive to the venturi, a hollow rotary shaft whose cavity is permanently connected with the accumulator through one (ifv its ends, on the one hand, and can, according to the angular position of said shaft, be peripherally connected selectively with anyone or two successive final extremities of the successive'tubes of the liquid rheostat on'lthe other hand, said .rotary shaft constituting the meansfor varying the resistance of the rheostat to the passage ofiliquid, according to the angular position of the shaft; an electric drive motor for the shaft, an electrical control' device for the motor, responsive to the ma norheten-fifor any heights of the liquid in the manometer, maintaining a corresponding, predetermined angular positionof the shaft and consequently an appropriate resistance-of the liquid rheostat; and means for producing the opening and closing of the valve ports 108 and 109 according to the direction of :the variationsrofndeparture-zof the pressure of the generator from'its norms, opening 109 and closing=.108 when that :pressure is increasing and opening 108 and closing 109 when that pressure is decreasing, which means comprise a'cylinder 28 213, a piston movable in said cylinder, a first tube connected at one end to a chamber M in one endof the cylinder 213, and at its second end penetrating the con-:

duit which connects the generator with the cylinder 140,

with the opening of said second end faced toward the cylinder 140, a second tube connected at one end to a chamberN at the opposite end of the cylinder '140, and

at its second end penetrating the conduit which corinects the generator with the cylinder 140, with the opening of said second end faced toward the generator; anr

other cylinder 218, a piston movable in said cylinder, a-

tank constantly connected to supply compressed air at predetermined pressure to one end of the cylinder 218, means for placing the opposite end of said c'ylinder.21;8

, alternatively in communication with sources of air pres':

sure above and below said predetermined pressure, comprising a chamber having ports in permanent communication with the respectivepressure sources, and aislide valve operative by the piston in cylinder 213 for alternatively opening and closing said ports, a'slide valve operated by. the piston in cylinder 218 for opening and.

closing the valve ports 208 and 209,0pe'ning the port 209 and closing the port 208 when the pressure of the air in chamber M is high, and opening the port 208 and closing the port '209 when the pressure of the air in the chamber M is low.

References Cited in the file of this patent,

UNITED STATES PATENTS 4 978,256 Wright Dec. 13, 1910 993,726 Snyder May 30, 191-1 4 1,633,759 Breese, Ir June28, 1927 1,926,413 Tibbs Sept. 12, 1933 1,979,299 Veenschoten Nov. V6, 1934 2,106,414 Price Jan. 25, 1938 2,116,424 Baumann May 3, 1938 2,170,346 Dickey Aug. 22,1939 2,185,893 Howell Jan. 2, 1940 2,223,658 Bailey Dec. '3, 1940 2,223,856 Price Dec. 3, 1940 2,258,719 Saathofi Oct. 14, 1941 2,315,665 Sengstaken Apr. 6, 1943 2,335,655 Dickey NOV. 30, 1943 2,352,368 Burnett June 27,1944 2,418,477 Ostermann Apr. 8, 1947 FCREIGN PATENTS,

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